Chapter 1: Moon And Stars
TL: Akabane
***
There was a classmate who had a great nickname like, "The Ice Empress".
Hoshino Shiori. She stood at the top of this high school just a few days after entering the school.
Originally, it was a third-year student nicknamed "Prince" who reigned at the top.
He was a handsome man who was very fashionable. He had been featured in a magazine article with an interview, and was admired by everyone around him.
But unfortunately, Hoshino was an active model.
The difference in status between them was obvious. Amateur and professional. But the Prince did not give up.
He had a way to turn things around. He could seduce her and make her his.
He could become the "man who dates active models" and absorb her status. The Prince did everything in his power to seduce Hoshino.
Prince is not the only one making moves. The captain of the soccer club, "Kharisma". Ace of the track team, "Pegasus". The student council knight, "Chevalier". The fallen angel behind the school building, "Lucifer"------- and many other sexy guys with aliases that I didn't know who they were, flocked to Hoshino all at once.
They all thought that if they could conquer her, they would be at the top of this school.
However, Hoshino turned the tables on all of them with a cool head, ignoring them all.
No matter what the cool guys did, no matter how they tried to approach her, they couldn't even get a decent look at her....
Eventually, they became completely desperate and stopped showing up.
Since then, no more boys wanted to talk to her.
The newspaper club gave her the nickname "Ice Empress".
Because no boy had ever seen her smile.
Boys adore her, and girls admire her.
She never wore the same outfit every day, and always had something fresh to coordinate.
All the girls imitate her. Hoshino is fashion and trend for them.
***
That day, Hoshino appeared in class as if she was holding a fashion show.
She walked briskly with her spring coat fluttering as if a spring breeze had blown in.
Inside her adult coat, she wore a sporty T-shirt.
The plaid shirt was visible from the neck and hem, adding a subtle accent.
All the girls said, "Cool!" and "Cute!" in unison.
But really, I admit it. .....She is indeed cool and cute.
"Good morning everyone."
Hoshino greeted them with a smile and joined the group of hot girls.
Sou and another group of not-so-sexy guys were watching the scene.
"She looks so cute today too, the Empress!"
Naoya Koseki muttered. And Sou replied, "Mm."
Hoshino Shiori was always good at mixing different elements.
If she went out in cute clothes, she would be too cute.
If she dressed as cool as possible, she would be too cool to approach.
Her specifications were too high. So, if she dresses up too well, she will lose her everyday flavor. That's why she blended various elements to maintain a balance.
Hence, Sou secretly imagined that if she wore cosplay clothes, she would be able to wear them.
What would happen if she dressed up in cosplay......?
Her beauty wouldn't shine in everyday clothes, but rather in fantasy world costumes...........
"I'm too scared to fantasize about getting to know her when she's that beautiful...."
My friend, Kitajima Shoutoku, said this to me in a sincere tone.
Shoutoku is the type of otaku who has abandoned all 3-dimensional desires and always has a gentle smile on his face. He was a nice guy with a chubby figure that made him look like the Great Buddha.
The only time he gets angry is when he's in gacha. And that happens quite often.
......Sou, who had a very selfish fantasy in his head, was shocked.
Whenever he saw a beautiful girl, he would always fantasize them cosplaying in his mind.
This was the secret of Sou Tsukigase, a cosplay idiot.
"It's true. If you want to be friends with a girl, it's better to be friends with a girl who's uglier than you."
Naoya laughed sarcastically, "Hehehe......"
Sou often hung out with Naoya and Shoutoku.
In class, Sou was an ordinary otaku who liked anime, manga, video games, and novels.
He hides his true interests, which are too deep, even from his friends in the shadows.
The fact that he lives for his half-sister's cosplay is so interesting that it might spread in an instant.
And I'm sure no one will sympathize with me.
There are already enough people who make fun of what I like.
"By the way ...... I think it's about time we debuted in casual clothes!"
Naoya suddenly said. Sou replied in a stupid voice, "What?"
Naoya started talking in an exaggerated tone of voice.
"As you all know that here at Yoho High School, fashionability = fighting ability! Wearing a uniform like this is nothing but giving up before a fight!"
"In fact, I've already given up. We should leave the fighting to the fashionable ones."
When Sou replied, Shoutoku also agreed.
"We should live our lives as they are without forcing ourselves to be like them. By the way, last night's 'Cosmolirical Angel Luna & Stella' ...... was great, wasn't it?"
"It was so hot!" Sou leaned forward involuntarily.
"Luna and Stella, who transformed into angels with the help of the moon and stars, flew through space to stop the cosmo slaughter weapon Romegaton-Meteor, which had been launched to eradicate humans on earth...."
"The new mobile robot army of the Cosmo Killer Army......!"
"The story is a mix of good old-fashioned space opera and witch girls, and it definitely won the hearts of us otaku who know the difference...."
As Sou did Luna's pose, Shoutoku began to imitate the robot's movements. It was a lot of fun.
"Stop it!"
Naoya interrupted the conversation with a shout.
"Don't pose like that, you damn otaku! Don't talk about late-night anime in class!"
"No one cares about us. The other students are busy talking about the tapioca they ate yesterday. So, what should we do, Shoutoku? Should we eat it after school too?"
Shoutoku's face turned into a Great Buddha face and sneered.
"I don't know what's so funny about such talk."
"Of course there isn't! The tapioca explosion is long gone!"
"Ah, really?"
"I didn't know that..."
"Seriously? That's why you guys won't be able to get it."
Naoya let out a long sigh. Sou looked around the classroom.
His classmates were engrossed in their own group conversations, and no one was paying attention to the otaku trio in the corner of the classroom.
But then my eyes met with one of them.
Hoshino looked at me with a thoughtful gaze. Smiling and grinning.
......The upper castes were laughing at me while I was engrossed in my brain talk.
------Is the Ice Empress really the girl who laughs like that?
"Stop talking about anime! I want to talk about fashion! Today, after school, let's go clothes shopping!"
Naoya's desperate voice made me turn to him.
"Why all of a sudden?"
"It's not sudden. There's a seat change on Monday."
A seat change is an opportunity to expand your friendship circle!
It's like a free gacha campaign.
I wonder if it's a good time to start dressing up ........ well, it seems like a reasonable idea.
"But it's not easy to debut in casual clothes. That means you'll be forced to enter a fashion battle with the slang kids...."
Fashion battle ...... is a forced battle based on the formula, stylish = fighting power. Once you lock eyes with them, there will be no escape.
The "slang kids" at this school all start talking about fashion with each other as soon as they meet.
It's not just a chat, but a battle of pride.
They would finish with, "That's good!" or "That's bad!"
Uniforms aren't included, of course, but if you're considered tacky here, you'll be alienated.
Once the tacky image took root, it was impossible to join the upper caste.
Sou referred to this horrible custom as "Mounted Battle Royale Mode."
"Even if you make your debut in casual clothes, you're mistaken about who you should consult, aren't you?"
Shoutoku laughed bitterly. "I guess not." said Shoutoku with a wry smile.
"There's no one else we can get to go shopping with us. But I don't have the courage to go to a fashion store alone. I'm a typical idiot."
"Ugh!" cried Naoya.
First of all ..... what's wrong with this uniform?
Sou didn't understand fashion, but he knew whether clothes were good or bad.
Yoho High School's uniform consisted of narrow colored pleather and gray trousers or skirt.
The fabric was a blend of wool and nylon and had a heavy texture and toughness.
The color scheme and silhouette are perfect.
I wonder how much it would cost if I tried to make it myself....
I think the quality is much better than the flimsy clothes worn by the slang kids.
I wonder how many of them can wear this "costume" called "uniform" properly?
"Naoya, have you ironed your trousers just once since you entered school?"
Naoya rolled his eyeballs, "What?"
"These trousers will be beautifully finished only when they have neat creases in the center, but after a few weeks, they will become wrinkled and creased. You leave your blazer and trousers alone when you're not wearing them, don't you?"
"Ugh!"
"What's with that ugly tie? The knot is too crooked."
"Sou, you sound like my father."
Shoutoku smiled lightly and mediated between them.
"Sou looks good in his school uniform. It's like he fits in when he wears it...."
Most students wore the same old uniform when they had just entered school.
However, Yoho High School uniforms have a special service that allows students to change their uniform size once for free as they grow.
This service was not well known as it was only mentioned discreetly in the corner of the pamphlet........
Therefore, Sou has been wearing his uniform in the perfect size since the beginning.
"What's the point of buying new clothes if you can't even wear what you're wearing now!"
Sou said to Naoya as if with a firm tone of voice.
"......That's right."
A girl's voice sounded like she was responding to Sou's comment.
Sou's comment wasn't good, but it was probably just a coincidence that another group chat was happening at the same time as Sou's comment.
When I turned my head in the direction of the voice, I saw Hoshino ..... looking at me.
She smiled again with a momentary mysterious smile and immediately turned to the surrounding girls.
"It's because I accidentally wore something out of place! Wearing the school uniform neatly will only make you look shabby!"
Naoya's face turned bright red as he argued.
"Naoya ....... don't push yourself too hard."
Shoutoku hugged Naoya's shoulders and calmed him down with a calm voice.
"If you suddenly try to grow taller, I'm sure it won't be good for you. Naoya doesn't always do things that go around in circles like that. Don't think about dressing up next week, take your time to get ready. If you don't want to do it now, we'll do it for you."
"Shoutoku....."
Naoya's eyes were wet. Shoutoku's voice was as soft as the Great Buddha's.
"Let's go to the bookstore later. Today is the release date of Fujimi Fantasia Bunko. I won't allow any objections."
Because I'm just an otaku who wants the latest edition of a novel.
***
"Welcome back, Onii-chan! Guess what's for dinner today? Jajaaaann! Stir-fried meat and vegetables!"
When I came home and opened the front door, my step-sister Manaka jumped out.
"You always eat stir-fried meat and vegetables, don't you?
"The amount of meat is different tonight! The pork is only 88 yen per gram?!"
Manaka rolled her eyes when she noticed the visitors, Naoya and Shoutoku, behind Sou.
The two greeted each other in a suspicious manner.
"Hello, Mana-chan! Do you remember me?"
"Oh, sorry to interrupt ....... Sou-kun always helps me at school......."
After stopping by the bookstore, they decided to stop by his house.
Sou's house, which was close to the school and had no parents, was a favorite hangout spot.
"Long time no see, Naoya-san, Shoutoku-san."
Manaka bowed politely.
Naoya and Shoutoku looked gloomy when the younger pretty girl called their names.
She was still wearing her school uniform and had probably just returned from a quick stop at the supermarket.
Her school also allowed casual clothes, but she had no interest in fashion.
"It's a shame that it's only 88 yen. I usually eat better meat."
Manaka laughed theatrically, "Ohohoho."
"No, it's okay. .......But Mana-chan is amazing. You're still in middle school, but you're able to cook rice and side dishes every day. You even went as far as checking for special discounts. That's amazing."
Naoya, who probably didn't know about the market price of pork, spoke highly of Manaka.
Manaka's parents gave her enough money to eat that she didn't really have to cook for herself.
The reason why Manaka works hard to cook for herself is so that she can save a little money for her cosplay expenses.
She learned to cook from Google.
"The Tsukigase family motto is, "you can do a lot if you Google it"!"
Manaka puffed out her chest. Even though they grew up without learning anything from their mother, Sou and Manaka were still able to live a wonderful life.
Sou's mother died of illness when he was in the first grade.
When the children were growing up, their father was often away from home on business.
But even so, his father was still able to give them enough money to live on. So there were no problems in the brothers' lives.
"Is Sou doing his job properly? You didn't force your cute little brother to do it, did you?"
Naoya teased me with a sideways glance.
"No, no. Onii-chan is also quite hardworking."
"We share the housework between us."
"The Tsukigase family motto is ...... "You're always on the same page"!"
Manaka shouted happily and raised her right hand.
Sou patted her hand and did a high-five.
Manaka smiled showing her white teeth, "Ehehe, it hurts."
"You put too much energy into it."
"You're the one who doesn't realize that you've grown so big, Onii-chan!"
Manaka kicked me with a frown. But it didn't hurt at all.
"Ah, you two get along so well as usual...."
Shoutoku muttered.
"We are a loving couple."
Manaka said while bowing. Sou poked her head.
"Don't make jokes like that to otaku, they'll take it seriously."
"Oh? Sister route? Are you going to the sister route? Okay! Oraaaaah!"
"No player would choose to go the route of a woman who provokes them like a professional wrestler."
I poked Manaka's head once more.
"Agh!"
"Don't just stay here and chat forever, let's go to my room."
Sou turned to his two friends. At that moment, there was an electronic beeping sound.
It was the sound of our refrigerator being left open.
"Hey." said Sou, letting go of Manaka.
"Oops, I just put the food I bought into the fridge!"
Manaka quickly pulled herself towards the kitchen.
"Well, she's very cute. ......Mana-chan."
Naoya turned up his nose once he reached the room.
"Not really." Sou replied briefly.
She did have a good look. She was a pretty girl. She has charm. ---She was fun to be with.
However, without her costume, she is not enough.
"Not really? Is it because you've seen her so much that your eyes have become dull? She's probably the best in her school."
"If you're talking about the best in school, she can't beat Hoshino...."
The door to the room vibrated when Sou answered it.
What's that vibration?
Did I leave the window open somewhere?
"That's where our tastes differ. The cool Hoshino-san and the bright Mana-chan...."
"Mana-chan looks like an anime character! She has big eyes and an anime voice!"
"She definitely has the atmosphere of a human-sized figure!"
Naoya and Shoutoku were both excited.
Sou was certainly aware of her anime character-like gestures and expressions.
When Manaka puts on makeup and cosplay costumes and faces the camera, she looks....
Her face is bewitching and very glamorous, as if she is a different person.
But strangely, her facial expressions like that only appear behind the camera....
Manaka to him was just an innocent child. Sou, as her brother, felt that way.
"The fact of living together with a beautiful younger sister is standard in manga and anime ...... but it's hard to imagine what it's like in the real world. So, what's it like?"
Sou tilted his head to answer Naoya's question, "What do you mean?"
"For example like this ....... do you realize it's the opposite sex, or suddenly feel horny for it?"
"M-Mana-chan noticed Sou?!"
Naoya and Shoutoku put their shoulders together and made strange noises.
""Wohoooo!""
Sou didn't tell them that he wasn't related to Manaka by blood.
If he had told them, they would have reacted in a very troublesome manner.
However, to Sou, it didn't matter whether they were related by blood or not. ......Manaka was an irreplaceable family member who had supported him in his most difficult times.
I don't want to imagine anything forbidden.
"No." Sou said firmly.
"No, not at all. That's ridiculous. She's not that kind of object. That's childish. Impossible."
The room door creaked again.
I wonder what that was?
It's as if someone is sticking to the door and eavesdropping..........
Shaking sounds that I can't ignore......
"But isn't there such a thing as luck, like bumping into it while changing clothes, or almost slipping in the bathroom?"
"There's nothing like that. She's very strong."
Sou glanced at the door.
Even if I was questioned, I wouldn't talk about something that would bother her.
"She's like a stupid little sister to me."
The door became very quiet.
"Hmmm......... then, it means that no matter how beautiful your sister is, you're still a gloomy otaku, no different from us."
"I never bragged about my sister, or felt proud of her...."
Naoya clenched his fists tightly.
"I believe we should all accept the challenge of making our debut in casual clothes to make our once-in-a-lifetime youth shine!"
"You brought that up again...."
"Don't waste it, Sou. I think you're a ball that will shine if polished. I think you can become a handsome man with good vibes. I guarantee it."
"Tell me that when you shine yourself."
Sou did not think he needed a change.
Casually and forcefully, he decided to change the subject.
"By the way, lately ...... I've been seeing Hoshino a lot. Could it be that ...... she has feelings for me? Fufufu....."
"Huh?!"
"Eh?!"
Naoya and Shoutoku shouted simultaneously.
"No way! Wake up! She's the Ice Empress!"
"Sou, you must be hallucinating ...... did you eat bad mushrooms or something?"
The room door rattled like a poltergeist.
"You don't have to deny it to that extent, do you?"
Sou himself of course realized that it was impossible....------
***
Not long after Naoya and Shoutoku left, it was time for dinner.
"Master ...... dinner is ready."
With a knock accompanied by an innocent voice, the door opened.
A young and innocent loli maid appeared at the door.
For a moment, Sou was confused by what happened.
It was the heroine of the popular light novel "This Maid is Raised by Me" that Sou was addicted to during his junior high school days, was there. It felt like a hallucination.
Sou immediately exclaimed, "Whoa! Mei-tan moe!"
The reason why Sou exclaimed so was because it was a cosplay of his favorite character.
Or rather, it was a costume she sewed herself.
It was a miniskirt maid outfit that emphasized moe more than traditional. The apron was tightened around her waist to suppress her breasts, which exposed a large amount of skin from her collarbone to her chest.
The black one-piece dress is made of thick wool and does not look cheap.
The pure white frills and intricate lace add a beautifully soft touch.
The daring miniskirt has a sheer, knee-high leg that stretches all the way down to.......
So perfect that one's brain would be confused whether it is two-dimensional or three-dimensional.
However, it was not just the quality of the costume that made her feel this way.
Manaka, who was wearing a maid outfit, peeked out from the door and looked at Sou with a depressed expression in her eyes.
I seem to have seen this scene in the anime ...... It's very similar to Mei Mitarai's character, from her casual movements to her facial expression.
Why, I mean, what is this girl doing?
Why is she doing such a perfect cosplay at home?
No matter how good she was, she wasn't smart enough to cosplay at home.
"Master ..... how about we go to the dining table?"
She walked up to me quietly and tugged on my sleeve.
"Oh, thank you------"
When Sou replied, the maid smiled and said, "Hehehe."
"I made many of Master's favorite dishes. Please give me lots of compliments!"
She hugged Sou's left arm tightly.
A pink arrow pierced Sou's otaku heart.
Mitarai Mei was the perfect maid loli who knew every chore even though she was younger than the main character.
Despite this, her personality is shy and introverted, and she is very happy when praised and pampered.
Her character is perfectly traceable.
I knew she was Manaka inside, but I couldn't stop my heart from pounding.
I also couldn't help but notice the gentle touch on my elbow even though I knew it was Manaka....
"D-Don't get too close."
Sou went to the dining table, while dragging Manaka who was still holding her tightly.
Sou looked at the menu prepared in the dining room and returned to reality.
It was a meat and vegetable stir-fry, which Mei-tan would never cook. This was not Victorian at all. Reality was cruel.
Stir-fried meat and vegetables is one of Manaka's most popular dishes to save money.
It is a combination of meat and vegetables, and requires minimal cost and effort.
However, the strong flavor of garlic and ginger stimulates the appetite of high school kids and makes them eat in large quantities. I can say unequivocally that it is my favorite meal.
"How does it taste?"
Manaka sat next to me on the sofa and looked at me to see my reaction.
She returned to her normal self as Manaka. In other words, she's my step sister now, so there's nothing to worry about anymore.
"It tastes the same as usual. In other words, it's delicious."
"Hehehe, then praise me."
Sou patted Manaka's head.
In front of his friends, he said he shared the housework, but in reality, 80% of the housework was done by Manaka.
However, Sou made costumes for Manaka instead. That was how they divided the work.
"Why are you wearing Mei's costume?"
"I don't have any particular intention."
Manaka looked away and coughed.
"......I thought you liked this character, Onii-chan."
Mei Mitarai was one of the most popular characters in Sou's otaku life. The costume she made when she was in the 2nd year of middle school was what made the name "Manamana" become famous as a cosplayer.
"Hmmm, aren't you happy to be pampered by Mei-tan? Come on, give her a compliment."
Manaka shook her head, "Here, praise, praise."
"Well ...... I'm very happy. Mei-tan is the best. But inside is Manaka."
"So what?!"
Manaka was angry, but she calmed down as soon as I patted her head.
"What's wrong with you?"
Sou asked again, feeling something was wrong.
"Nothing. ...... I just felt like cosplaying for some reason."
Did she eavesdrop on his conversation with Naoya and the others?
"Maybe it's because I'm already in high school, so you feel lonely...."
Until last year, Sou was still a third-year student at the same junior high school as her.
The difference between middle school and high school was that they spent less time together.
"It's not like that!"
Manaka turned around and started playing her cell phone while eating.
It was bad behavior, but I didn't care about it.
"How's your reputation?"
Sou had just finished editing a cosplay photo she took at a studio in Ikebukuro and uploaded it to her Manamana account, which had over several hundred thousand followers.
I'm sure the responses would be pouring in right now.
But Manaka's lips twitched in frustration.
"I don't think it's very good ...... quality workmanship. It's not a popular character........"
"That's the problem. We did it because we liked the character."
"Maybe next time I should try exposing it a little more."
"Don't do that."
Sou put down his chopsticks and turned to face her.
"You're still in middle school. You can make your own decisions when you grow up, but we're still kids, so you shouldn't do things like that based on momentary feelings...."
"I understand! I understand! Mooo! Thanks for dinner!"
Manaka collapsed onto the sofa.
As a cosplayer who maintained her beauty, Manaka ate much less than Sou.
"I want to cosplay more."
Manaka muttered while raising her cell phone to the ceiling.
"I want to be loved more. For that, I want to cosplay more..."
Sou thought that she must be lonely.
Manaka lost her parents in an accident and was raised by her relatives.
Sou's father took her in and adopted her because he couldn't stand seeing her treated like a nuisance by her relatives.
Because of this, Manaka was completely closed off when she first met Sou.
Sou did everything he could to comfort his step-sister who had come out of the blue.
Back then, Manaka didn't talk to anyone and was immersed in manga and anime. It was the Magical Girl anime that aired Sunday morning.
Sou, who watched it with her, became addicted to it.
Sou then made transforming items with his hands using cardboard and thick paper, and invited Manaka to roleplay magical girl with him. It was the first cosplay between Sou and Manaka.
From there, the distance between the two quickly shortened.
Sou was so excited that she became serious.
She was no longer satisfied with just cardboard and boxes, and even started sewing.
She found her mother's sewing machine and sewing tools in her room.
The quality of Sou's "handmade goods" soon surpassed that of children's hand games. Sou's father also went out of his way to support his endeavors.
The two eventually became one cosplayer, Manamana.
Thinking back to those days, Manaka was much brighter now.
But even so, it seemed like the "loneliness" in her heart had not completely disappeared.
Behind her cheerful demeanor, Manaka was always afraid of something.
She was afraid that the "loneliness of those days" would one day attack her again unreasonably....
She would probably feel anxious about the trivial changes of her step-brother who had become a high school student.
But that didn't mean she could eavesdrop on his conversations.
"Manaka...." Sou placed his hand on Manaka's head.
"I'm sure things will change in high school, but I'll always be with you, Manaka."
"That's only natural since we're brother and sister. I don't doubt it. I don't think there will be many changes when Onii-chan is in high school."
Manaka put down her cell phone and looked at Sou's face.
"But ...... promise, huh?"
"Yes, I promise." Sou said.
***
Changing seats at the beginning of the week, Sou faced an emergency situation.
As a result of a strict lottery, Sou's seat was in the front row by the window.
When he turned his head to the left, he could only see the blue sky through his window.
And the person sitting to his right was the Ice Empress, Hoshino.
It was a terrifying setting, with nowhere to run.
However, it was also an opportunity to confirm something I had long wondered about.
I wondered about what her mysterious behavior lately meant....
"Tsukigase-kun is ...... next to me. I'm happy."
On this day too, she was wearing her stylish casual clothes. It was as if she came from a different world than our uniformed world.
"Hello, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too. I can finally talk to you."
She leaned forward and looked closely at Sou with her eyes that seemed to want to absorb him.
"You want to talk to me?"
"I've been trying to make an opportunity for a long time, but it never worked out."
"Why do you want to talk to me?"
Instead of answering, she took out her cell phone.
On the phone screen were colorful pictures.
I almost shouted, "Ah!" without thinking.
It was the ...... cosplay photo of Manamana that I had just uploaded last night.
"You sewed Manamana's costume, right?"
A chill ran down my spine. How could she know? And why?
No. What did she want me to do with it?
The word "blackmail" crossed Sou's mind.
"Me too...."
However, the high school model said something unexpected:
"I also want to be a part of your work."
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